John contacted our office with a concern that he was not able to visit his spouse in the hospital because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19. John’s spouse had suffered a serious stroke and was not expected to live for more than a few days.

When we contacted Island Health, we learned there were exemptions available for unvaccinated people in certain circumstances. These included exemptions for visits to loved ones on compassionate grounds, which included end-of-life visits. Recognizing they had overlooked John’s request, in response to our investigation, the health authority arranged for John to visit his spouse.